Since you can't patent it, the only route left to you is to keep the
production methods a trade secret. You hire an attorney, have them draw
up a non-disclosure agreement, and get anyone associated with the
drafting or production of the product to sign it. That would include
partners, employees, and the owner or executive of any company you hire
to make it. Clearly mark all drawings as "proprietary" and number them.
Keep a record of who gets copies. Companies large and small do it all
the time because patents are usually a total waste of effort. See:

http://www.tinaja.com/glib/newpats.pdf

Of course if anyone has ever done something similar and it's on the web
or in a published document, you're screwed since NDAs generally aren't
enforceable for ideas and methods already in the public domain.

wrote:

I've researched into the applicable patent law, and the metal piece
that I'm trying to manufacture is too obvious to patent.

I agree that the relationship that you're describing would be ideal. I
would like to find someone like that to work with. In my experience
with business however, I've only ever encountered people that want to
screw you from every possible angle before you have the chance to know
what hit you.

I am by nature a person that wants to only engage in non-zero sum
exchanges (transactions from which all parties benefit). However, I've
learned from experience that if you don't protect yourself, you'll get
ripped off in a second, and that even the most seemingly fair and kind
person will probably switch personalities at the prospect of profit.
At the same time, there are some genuinely honest and fair people out
there, but they make up a much smaller percentage of the population
than most people would think.

In my present situation, the only way to protect myself would be to
either:

a) work with someone who is legit (if you can recommend anyone, I live
in the Chicagoland area. Like I said, I am only interested in engaging
in relationships in which everybody benefits, so the person to which
I'm referred to would benefit as well)

or

b) legally pin down the person who I work with such that they can't
take the idea, manufacture the part themself and start selling it (not
that they would probably know the target market anyway)


Of course, option A is much more preferable. However, if option A
doesn't pan out, do you know how an unconnected person finds a
metalworker that could do what I'm trying to have done?